All posts in Morton Games

With a little less than 100 days to August 21st check out the new updated 2019 version of www.mortongames.ie 

Please also spread the word. It`ll be here quicker than you think!

The Countdown is well and truly on. Already there are only, today, 100 days left until August 21st` Morton Games here in the Morton Stadium, Santry.

Events confirmed include the Morton Mile, Albie Thomas 5000, Loki Sports men’s 400, Dublin Marathon women’s 800, men’s 100, women’s 200, men’s Javelin and women’s high jump.

With inquiries and requests for places coming in daily agents and athletes are encouraged to contact us now by e mail to mortongames@hotmail.com. Also we have a number of events currently unsponsored so there are opportunities available for interested companies and individuals.

Morton Games will be livestreamed and will also be televised.

Further updates as we move forward see  http://www.mortongames.ie

Eurosport 2 will be showing the Morton Games highlights show on Tuesday the 21st at 10.00pm.

August 7th 1958 a new day in Santry and a new World Record is set! 24 hours after Herb Elliott`s Mile World Record brought day 2 of the ‘August International Sports’. The feature event on the programme for day 2 was the 2 mile open. Tonight Herb Elliott way to pay back Albie Thomas for pacing the mile by pacing the 2 mile for Thomas.

The crowd was smaller tonight, approximately numbering 8000. From the off Elliott took on the pace making duties reaching the mile in 4.22 with Thomas on his shoulder. On hearing the split Thomas though the pace was too slow and the opportunity was gone :

“When I heard the mile time I said to myself bang goes our hopes of a record, but I decided to have a go. It was tough going and in the second quarter of the last mile I felt like turning it in. Then came that wonderful Dublin cheer. I felt I was running for the crowd as much as for myself and I just ran as hard as I possibly could. When I heard I had actually beaten the record I could hardly believe it. Imagine I ran the last mile in 4 minutes 11 seconds’. (Albie Thomas)

A new World Record 8.32.0. The second in 2 days, and Albie Thomas` second of the Summer of `58 in Santry (to add to his World 3 Mile set on July 9th)

(Above, start of the 2 mile open, Aug 7th 1958)

(Above, Elliott (note missing number) paces, Thomas (no. 38) waits)

(Above, Albie Thomas breaks the World Record!)

Morton Games is proud to preserve the memory of Ablie Thomas with the annual Albie Thomas Memorial Race as a key event in the annual international event. Fittingly this year`s was won by Australia`s Brett Robinson with the presentation made by Albie`s family: wife Nola, daughter Robyn, son in law Gary and grandsons Liam and Thomas.

(Above 2018, Albie Thomas Memorial Race)

There are two sets of superb photographs from this year’s meet available for viewing. The photographers are Eamonn Symth Photography and Conor McDonnell of National Sports Campus. To see click : http://mortongames.ie/photo-gallery/nggallery/page/4

(Pictured, Emily Lipari (USA) wins Hireco 1500)

Highlights of Morton Games will be on Eurosport TV in August.  Broadcast slots are:

August 14th 8.00am Eurosport 1

August 15th 6.00pm Eurosport 2

August 17th 11.30pm Eurosport 2

The full Live Stream replay is also available on mortongames.ie

Also for you fans of the wireless:

If you would like to watch a replay of last Thursday night’s Morton Games go to www.mortongames.ie on the home page click on Replay. There you will find a link from 247TV. Enjoy.

Thursday night’s Morton Games delivered once again with a superb night’s athletics before a large appreciative crowd in the Morton Stadium, Santry. Throughout the night from start to the iconic Morton Mile at 9 p.m. there were world class performances delivered by world class athletes.

The Morton Mile was the climax of the evening at 9 p.m. sharp with 11 of the 14 finishers dipping under the magical four minutes. Sam Prakel (USA) continued his superb form, having won in Cork on Monday night he carried that form up to Dublin and was a worthy winner in 3.55.80, chased all the way to the line by the fast finishing Lopez Lomong (USA) who also finished in a season’s best, like Prakel, of 3.56.58 with Henry Wynne (USA) on his first visit to Ireland 3^rd in 3.56.86.  Raheny’s young Brian Fay just finished outside of the magical sub 4 running a time of 4.00.45, a superb performance by the young northsider.

The Dublin Marathon Women’s 800 again delivered with a superb race, although the field finished just outside of the 2 minute barrier it was an excellent race won by USA 800 finalist Hannah Green in a time of 2.01.66 from Ireland’s Ciara Mageean who had another storming performance in this race in 2.02.13 with Alena Brooks (TTO) 3^rd in 2.02.32.

The Men’s 800 produced a fantastic race, when the pacemaker pulled off Boris Berian (USA), the 2016 World indoor champion, took the race by the scruff of the neck and heading into the top bend was several metres clear, a lead that he was not going to relinquish, he was chased all the way to the line by teammate Brandon Lasater (USA), Berian broke the tape in 1.45.72, the fastest 800 in Morton Games in several years. Other notable performances included a PB from John Fitzsimons (Kildare AC) of 1.48.09 and a PB from Australia’s Jordan Williamsz of 1.47.35.  Unfortunately Mark English pulled off on the home straight with an injury.

The Hireco Women’s 1500 produced the finish of the day. With good pace making the athletes were on for a fast time, there were several athletes in the field chasing European qualifying times and this resulted in the recording of four PBs and 2 SBs.  Coming down the home straight it looked to be Elinor Purrier’s race, as she was about to raise her arms in victory Emily Lipari (USA) was getting closer and closer and on the dip just got in in front of Purrier to take her first win at Morton Games in 4.08.01, Purrier was 2^nd and 2017 European junior champion Gemma Reeki (GBR) 3^rd in 4.09.08.

The sprint races produced wonderful performances with the favourite Crystal Emmanuel (CAN) taking the win in the Aon Women’s 100 in a time of 11.44. There was drama in the Aon Men’s 100 as a false start resulted in the DQ of defending champion Jeff Demps (USA) meaning that there were only nine starters tearing down the home straight and in the dash for the line Sean McLean (USA), 2^nd last year behind Demps took the win in 10.22 with Jamaica’s Rasheed Dwyer 2^nd and Bismark Boateng (CAN) 3^rd in 10.29.

The JWT Folk Women’s 400 really brought the crowd to their feet as rounding off the top bend Ireland’s fastest woman Phil Healy looked like she was going to take the win from a very strong international field, however, getting up beside her on her inside was Maggie Barrie, not only the first athlete representing Sierra Leone to run in the Morton Games but the first athlete from Sierra Leone to actually race in the Morton stadium. Barrie took the win in 52.63 from Healy 52.88 and France’s Elea Diarra 4rd 53.01.

Likewise the Men’s 400 was a superb race with the first two dipping under 46 seconds. Israel’s Donald Sanford took the win in 45.81 from Rabah Yousif (GBR) 45.87.

The eagerly anticipated Albie Thomas 500 (sponsored by Dublin Athletics Board) produced the goods. The pacemakers were clearly doing their job as the large field was strung out from the start.  When the pacer pulled out of the way Adel Mechaal (ESP) took up the running as expected, he was chasing the European qualifying time.  Sitting on his shoulder was Brett Robinson (AUS), the winner of the 3000 in Cork on Monday night and a train of British athletes led by Ben Connor, Jonny Mellor and Luke Traynor. With 600 to go Robinson made his move getting up past Mechaal and chased by Connor. The first three all came home under 13.30 with Robinson recording 13.26.50, Connor 13.29.35, bettering his PB set in this race last year, by 2 seconds and Mechaal 13.29.94.  Both Connor and Mechaal dipped under the European qualifying time. Jonny Mellor clearly showed that he still has speed in his legs, now that he is moving up to the marathon, running 13.36.12. Ireland’s Stephen Scullion ran a big PB of 13.50.04.

There was also as part of the Meet a fantastic interclub juvenile relay producing almost the finish of the day as Clonliffe Harriers A team was hunted down by Dunboyne AC and in the end there was a margin of one tenth of a second or so between the teams with Clonliffe winning in 3.51.26 from Dunboyne and Ratoath AC.

The Junior Men’s Mile was won in considerable style by Cian Kelly (St. Abban’s) – 4.20.05 from Daire Finn (DCH) and Michael Power (West Waterford).

In the IMC races Maisy O’Sullivan (St. Abban’s) won in 2.08.36 from Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC) 2.09.73 and Jenna Bromell (Emerald) 2.09.73 and in the Men’s 800 Elliot Slade won in 1.52.75 from Alex Beddoes from the Cooke Islands 1.53.18 and Mark Milner (Tullamore) 1.53.34.

The two field events were very classy affairs. The javelin resulted in three seasons bests and for Ireland and Clonliffe Harriers Stephen Rice a huge PB of 75.89 which was also a national U/23 record.  The winner was Lars Timmerman (NED) 76.40, Rice was 2^nd and Great Britain’s Joe Dunderdale 3^rd 70.21.

Unfortunately Ireland’s World U/20 silver medallist Sommer Lecky withdrew from the event after warming up, however, there was still great performances by the remainder of the field with former NCAA champion Liz Patterson (USA) winning the event with a 1.91 jump from Ireland’s Phippa Rogan who jumped a PB of 1.83 and Canada’s Alyx Treasure 3^rd in 1.80.

It was another magical Morton Meet. A huge thank you to all our sponsors for their involvement in the event, to the athletes for their performances on the night and to the large crowd in attendance and of course also to the army of volunteers throughout the build up, planning and hosting of last night’s Morton Games.  It was once again a tremendous team effort.

Full results on www.mortongames.ie

Boris Berian (USA) has been added to the start list of what is already a stellar field for the 800 at next week`s Morton Games.  Berian was the 2016 world indoor 800 champion in Portland, also that year he won a round of the Diamond League, the 800 at the Prefontaine Classic and was a finalist in the 2016 Olympic Games.  He has an 800 PB of 1.43.34.

He has been injured for some period of time but is now back healthy and comes to Santry for Morton Games as part of his late summer racing schedule as he prepares for next year’s season.

Also added to the starting field is Brandon Lasater (USA) an athlete who set his PB in May of this year of 1.45.86 and was a 4^th place finisher at this year’s US Championships at Des Moines on June 24^th.

Also confirmed is Olympic Games and World Championship semi-finalist Michael Rimmer (GBR).

Add into the mix the previously announced starters in the 800 iuncluding Ryan Gregson (AUS), Jordy Williamsz (AUS), Chris Giesting (USA) and Irish trio of Mark English (UCD), Zak Curran (DSD) and 2017 European U/20 bronze medallist John Fitzsimons (Kildare AC) and it looks like this race will be one of the races of the night.

One of the world’s top female sprinters Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel is coming to Morton Games. The Rio and London Olympian will compete in the Aon Women’s 100.  Crystal has made the semi finals in two Olympic Games at 200m. She was a finalist at last year’s World Championships in London finishing 7^th in the 200 and was a Diamond League finalist last year.  She has been crowned Canadian champion on no less than 9 occasions between the 100 and 200 going back to 2011.

See www.mortongames.ie for daily news, timetable etc. Also follow Morton Games on Twitter and visit Morton Games on Facebook.

All Clonliffe volunteers and team leaders are requested to attend a briefing meeting after training on Tuesday night.

There will be a brief run through, a safety briefing and collection of accreditation and Morton Games t shirt for wearing on the big night. All are requested to be in attendance. It won`t take any more than 30 minutes!